Jillian Zacks is an attorney with McAndrews, Mehalick, Connolly, Hulse and Ryan, P.C. and is the lead attorney in the Pittsburgh office.  She concentrates her practice in the areas of Estate Planning, Special Needs Trusts, Guardianship, Estate Administration and Orphans’ Court Matters. She received her J.D. from University of Connecticut School of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis.   Ms. Zacks represents individuals of varying net worth in the preparation of personalized estate plans. Ms. Zacks has a concentration in special needs planning and provides comprehensive services which may involve preparation of self-funded or third-party special needs trusts, powers of attorney or guardianship. She administers estates from death through estate closing, ranging from high-net-worth clients to insolvent estates.  Ms. Zacks is active in the community providing educational seminars to families, professionals, and fellow attorneys on such topics as Estate Planning, Special Needs Trusts, Transition to Adulthood for an Individual with a Disability, and ABLE Accounts. Her dedication to the community extends beyond speaking and assisting families with planning for the future, she is past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Arc of Greater Pittsburgh and immediate past Chair of the Board of Directors of Jewish Family and Community Services of Pittsburgh (JFCS). Additionally, she serves on the Board of Directors of Achieva and is a member of the Pittsburgh Estate Planning Council. Due to her efforts and commitment to the autism community, Ms. Zacks was awarded the prestigious Temple Grandin Award by the Autism Connection of Pennsylvania and most recently the Shore-Whitehill Award from The Branch (JRS) for promoting inclusion of people with disabilities in the community.

E. Nego Pile received his J.D. from Temple University Beasley School of Law and his B.A. in Philosophy from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. Prior to law school, Nego was selected by the Council on Legal Education Opportunity to be a Thurgood Marshall Fellow during the summer of 1995 at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. Today, he provides legal counsel for clients throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey primarily in matters relative to estate planning, elder law, special needs planning, personal injury law, and real-estate law. An active member of the Pennsylvania and Montgomery Bar Associations, Nego recently completed a three-year term as Board Member of the latter group. He also volunteers with the Montgomery Bar Association Civics Education Program, which brings civics education to Norristown-area middle schools. Through the PBA Minority Bar Committee’s Community Outreach Subcommittee he regularly participates in panel discussions on various legal topics of significance to Philadelphia residents. Besides all this, Nego volunteers with the Montgomery Child Advocacy Project, providing legal representation to local children who are victims of abuse and neglect, and with the Philadelphia Volunteers for the Indigent Program, for which he has handled real estate and probate cases.

Ms. Zacks represents individuals of varying net worth in the preparation of personalized estate plans. Ms. Zacks has a concentration in special needs planning and provides comprehensive services which may involve preparation of self-funded or third-party special needs trusts, powers of attorney or guardianship. She administers estates from death through estate closing, ranging from high-net-worth clients to insolvent estates.

Mr. Strauss is a partner with the Lehigh Valley law firm Gross McGinley, LLP, with offices in Easton, Allentown, and Stroudsburg, where he focuses his practice on Estate Planning, Estate Administration, and Orphans’ Court litigation. He received his B.A. from Syracuse University in 1987 and his J.D. from the Western New England School of Law in 1989. Mr. Strauss is a member of the Lehigh and Carbon County Bar Associations as well as the Pennsylvania Bar Association (member: PBA Elder Law Section and Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section: Vice President Probate Trust Division 2012-2014, Section Chair 2014-2015) and Lehigh Valley Estate Planning Council. Eric is an elected fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). He has authored numerous articles and frequently lectures to community and professional groups, including the National Business Institute and Pennsylvania Bar Institute, on the topics of estate planning, estate administration, trust administration, fiduciary income tax, Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax, Federal Estate Tax, and related areas. He also devotes time to community organizations including the Allentown YMCA-YWCA, Board of Directors (President 1997-1998), Trustee (1999-present); Lehigh County Senior Center, Board of Directors(2003-2009) and Trout Unlimited.